Question 10
Identify five mistakes committed in democratic governance that gives cause for military intervention in politics.
Observation
This was a popular question and many of the candidates that attempted it performed well. The candidates understood the demands of the question and gave points listed in the scheme accordingly. The candidates were expected to provide the following as answers to the question.
- A slow response to threats
- Constitutional crises
- Abuse of power/dictatorship
- Manipulation of the judiciary and judicial system
- Corruption in government/corrupt government officials
- Electoral manipulation
- Cronyism, nepotism and open bias of government
- Economic mismanagement
- Disregard for Rule of Law
- Suppression of political opponents
- Abuse of the Fundamental Human Rights of citizens
- Undue interference in the affairs of the military
- Skewed interpretation of the law
- Turning blind eye on inflation and high cost of living
- Mass youth unemployment
- Weak and ineffective leadership
- Inciting socio-religious crises
- General insecurity and breakdown of law and order
- Failure in addressing the military organizational grievances
- Control of the media
- Failure to uphold the tenets of the constitution
- Government’s failure to provide leadership in the provision of social and infrastructural services.
- Manipulation of constitutional provisions to extend term limits
- The creation of para-military forces
- Unfulfilled campaign promises